The Meeting
by PeanutCookiesXD
Summary: Cadi has been Sighted for the Prince Matthew's Meeting. She has almost mastered waterbending and has mastered airbending. The only problem is that its forbidden for girls to master their elements, and Cadi shouldn't have two elements. What will she do when she goes to the Palace? NOTE: This is all OC and is my version based on ATLA and the Selection XD
1. Chapter 1- SIghted

Hey anyone who took the time to read this. I know when authors do this it's annoying, but please bear with me. This is my fanfic about what I think it would be like if there was bending in Kiera Cass's Selection. It is not at all based on the people on either stories, just the idea of having a Selection (I called it Meeting) and having benders in it. It is based in New-America, meaning that there is no Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes or Air Temples mentioned. Hope you guys enjoy it XD

A/N: YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE SEEN AVATAR OR HAVE READ SELECTION TO UNDERSTAND THIS FIC!

Oh yeah, disclaimer: I don't own Selection or Avatar the Last Airbender. I only own the plot and the OC's, which is pretty much everyone, I guess.

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CHAPTER 1: SIGHTED

I readied my stance and took a deep breath. I ignored the sounds of the birds in the trees, and the sound of the water flowing down the river, and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. I ignored the world and got into my zone.

As soon as my zone was reached, I was on the move. I was sending huge waves of air everywhere and skilfully executing the advanced moves I had seen on an old airbending scroll that I had 'borrowed' from Dad.

I then moved onto my waterbending. I wasn't as skilled in my waterbending as I was in my airbending, but I was pretty close. I did the moves that I had learnt another scroll I had borrowed.

Yeah, I am a waterbender and an airbender. Bending is a discipline that lets a person manipulate an element. There are four known element, water, earth, fire and air, but in one of Dad's scrolls I saw another type of bending mentioned, energybending, but I have no idea what it does.

Water is the element of change. Earth is the element of strength physically and in some ways mentally. Fire is the element of power. Air is the element of freedom.

Benders learn their bending from the original benders. Waterbenders learned from the moon pushing and pulling the tides, earthbenders learned from the badger-moles, firebenders learned from dragons, and airbenders learned from flying sky-bisons.

The ability to bend is passed on through heritage. Mum has the waterbending trait on her side of the family, which explained where I got my waterbending from. As for my airbending… no one knows. I shouldn't even have two elements. I'm no Avatar. He was currently sorting out some civil war in New Asia. For those of you who don't know who the Avatar is, he/she is a bender who can bend all the elements, well I'm not sure about energy, but they can definitely bend water, earth, fire and air. There is only one Avatar at a time and they follow the circle. I think it's something like fire, then air, then water and then earth.

When I was finished practicing, I quickly looked around to see if anyone had seen me. Luckily, no one was in sight and I couldn't hear anyone in the wind.

I looked down at my appearance, hoping my bending hadn't altered its appearance, and cursed when I saw a clean cut in my shirt. Now Mum and Dad would know that I had been bending and that would not go down too well. I quickly gathered my belongings and the food I'd bought from the markets earlier that day and rushed home.

You see, here in New America, girls doing any type of advanced bending besides healing was strictly forbidden (unless she was the Avatar), and it was illegal to perform bending in front of anyone or outside your home. I thought this was utterly stupid. What was the point of forbidding us to learn how to protect ourselves? They aren't always going to be around to save us. What type of nation was this, making us girls weak and totally dependent on boys? Was this their way of making sure we stayed obedient?

I shook those thoughts away and raced into the house. I put the food I had bought on the table and walked into the living room to see Mum and Dad in front of the TV screen. I paused, wondering why they were there, then I remembered.

Tonight is the night that they are announcing the Sighted for the Meeting.

Let me quickly explain. The Meeting is a competition held when any prince of New America reaches the age to marry. The King holds the Meeting so that the prince can find his queen. It is a way to unite our nation, since the Sighted are always commoners. They go to the Palace, leaving their family and friends behind, and learn the ways of a princess.

I personally think that it is a good idea, but the fact that it is put on national TV makes it seem like one of those old reality TV shows that I despise. The prince is a human too, and doesn't deserve to have the whole nation watch him fall in love and stumble his way through all the girl drama, as well as learning to run the nation. It was absolutely ridiculous. If I was ever picked, which would never happen, I wouldn't know what to do or how to react.

"Where have you been, Cadi? The Sighted selection is about to start." Mum scolded, dragging me from my thoughts. I smiled at her and dropped down on the couch next to her.

"I got preoccupied. And I'm not that late. When the Meeting was held for Prince Nathan three years ago Lissa was always announced last. Who says this year it is going to be any different?" I said cheekily, and Mum sighed. Lissa was the Sighted from our province in Prince Nathan's meeting three years ago. She made it to the Honored, and then she was asked to leave. Believe it or not, she is Princess Cammie's best friend (the winner of Prince Nathan's Meeting).

Mum looked me over, then her eyes narrowed on the slit in my skirt.

"Were you bending again?" She asked, and I looked at her innocently.

"Oh Mum, when do I ever bend?" I asked sweetly, and she shook her head at me exasperatedly.

"What am I going to do with you?" She sighed, and I just grinned. Dad walked in then and took a look at Mum's expression and my grin.

"Bending again?" He asked knowingly, and he sighed.

"Cadi, we've asked you to stop going out and practicing for a reason. We don't want to see you get into trouble for how advanced you are." Dad told me gently, and I smiled. Dad had long gotten over me using his scrolls to perfect my bending.

"I know, Dad. I promise I'm careful. No one except Drew and Leslie know where I train." I told him. Drew and Leslie are my best friends, and have been since forever.

"I'm glad, sweetie, but you gotta be careful." He warned, and I got up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Promise." I promised, and he grinned. He took my seat and poked his tongue out at me. I mock-pouted and sat on the floor at their feet. I conjured a small airball and started playing with it. I heard Mum's exasperated sigh and Dad's light chuckle.

Suddenly, the King's song came on, signalling that it was about to begin. Mum wiggled excitedly against Dad and I rolled my eyes at her, then focused on the screen. I absently made my airball bigger and smaller.

"Hello New-America! I am Grayson Alfredero, your host for this evening! Tonight's a very exciting night, isn't it? Tonight is the opening night of Prince Matthew's MEETING!" He yelled, and there was loud cheering from the TV. I grinned in spite of myself. Grayson really knew how to capture the audience's attention.

"First off, let's say a quick hello to the Prince." He grinned, and the camera whipped around to a nervous looking Prince Matthew. "Your Highness, how are you feeling?" Grayson asked, and the Prince took a small breath before answering.

"I'm a little nervous, but I'm excited to know who the Sighted are." His honey-smooth voice said. If there was one thing I could admit, it was that the royal family were definitely good-looking. The Queen was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and the King was almost the most handsome man. His sons were the only people who were handsomer than the king.

"I'll bet. Now, Prince Nathan, three years ago you had your Meeting and met your wife Cammie. What were you feeling when you were in your brother's position?" Grayson asked Prince Nathan, who laughed. Princess Cammie grinned beside him.

"I'm pretty sure everyone saw what a nervous wreck I was. I was stuttering all over my words." He replied lightly.

"Nate, you were always stumbling over your words then." Prince Matthew laughed, which caused everyone to chuckle, including Prince Nathan.

"I know. I'm glad that Matt will have the opportunity to meet someone who will be as special to him as Cammie is to me." He said, looking lovingly into his wife's eyes. The audience 'nawww'ed. She blushed heavily, obviously still unused to Prince Nathan's public displays of affection. I giggled at her.

"Of course he will. Now, let's get on with the show! The Sighted Lady from Nedess Province is… Miss Rayella Thompson!" Grayson yelled, and a picture of a beautiful girl, maybe eighteen years old, showed up on the screen. She had bright green eyes and golden brown hair that she had braided over her left shoulder. She had her province clothes on; a dull green shirt with their emblem, a black circle with black tentacle-like things coming out of it, on it.

"From Icet Province… Miss Alexia Faberstell!" He called, and another picture showed up on the screen. This time it was a girl with dark black hair that was pulled back at the front and fell to her shoulders. She was smiling sweetly at the camera, and even I could tell it was false. Someone was playing the game before it even started!

Grayson kept on announcing names until, finally, it was our Province's turn. Mum was holding Dad's hand in excitement and Dad had his hand on my shoulder. I reached and held it.

"Last but not least, from the Adiwen Province… Miss Cadi Leyonah!" He shouted and my heart stopped. I let the airball I had been playing with the entire time go and it disappeared. I looked up at the screen and saw my picture. I had been running around with Drew, Leslie and Leslie's little brothers. I had forgotten about the photos and we raced to the Grand Hall where the pictures were taken. My bright brown hair was wispy and was falling out of the ponytail I had fixed it in. My face was bright red and I had an excited look in my eyes, and I had breathless smile on my face. I looked oddly beautiful.

The screen then went back to Grayson, then it showed all thirty-six girls. I didn't listen to anything Grayson said. I just stared at the TV in shock.

_"From the Adiwen Province… Miss Cadi Leyonah!"_ Grayson's voice echoed. I couldn't comprehend what just happened.

"Are you okay, honey?" Mum asked, and I looked up at her.

"Did that really just happen?" I asked, and she nodded. I took a deep breath and nodded. I sat there for a few moments, trying to put my thoughts together.

Everything was going to change now that I had been Sighted. Everyone was going to know my name and my family's name. They would know almost every detail about us, including our bending status. I would be treated as minor royalty and not the commoner I was now. And as for my bending, it would be so much harder to conceal my two elements and how advanced I was at them, especially at the Palace. If that was discovered, it wouldn't go down well.

The Meeting could last a few months, that was a given. What sane person could choose his bride in any less time? Anyway, I could be gone for months if I made it that far. Could I last a few months without my friends and family? Yeah, I could, but it wouldn't be easy. I knew I would be there for at least a few weeks. The princes of our generation liked to keep the girls there longer so they could get a deeper feeling of the girls besides first impressions before they started eliminating them.

A few weeks to a few months, not forever. I would leave home, but I would be coming back.

"Okay, that's okay. It's just a few weeks, or a few months. I'll be fine. You guys, Leslie and Drew will still be here." I smiled, reassuring myself. I paused, thinking of my best friends for a few seconds. "They better not get engaged while I'm gone. I already made him swear to have my permission to marry anyone anyway." I added, and I heard laughter from the doorway. I looked over to see Drew blushing and Leslie laughing.

"Hey guys. What's up?" I asked, and they rolled their eyes at me and I could tell they invited themselves in like we've been doing since they could walk and learnt how to open door handles. Let me tell you, it caused a lot of issues when we were younger, even if we did live on the same street.

"Only you'd be so cool with this." Leslie told me, and I shrugged.

"I freaked for a second, but then I realised I was being stupid. It's just a few months, right? It's not the end of the world," I told them, and they nodded at me before Drew turned to Les.

"Told you we didn't need to race over here for damage control." Drew told her with a smirk, his earlier blush gone. She glared at him and turned to me.

"Hey guys. You staying for dinner?" Mum spoke up before the inevitable fight broke out, and I grinned. Our parents were so used to us running through each other's house that it almost like they each had three seventeen year old children.

"If that's okay, Kellie." Drew replied, grinning.

"Cadi, can you please set up the places" Mum asked, and I nodded. I went to the kitchen and set up the places. As soon as I was done, everyone waltzed in and took their places. They looked at me expectantly. I rolled my eyes at them and grabbed the pot of soup from the stove and put it lightly on the table.

"Plates." I demanded, and Leslie handed me hers first, batting her eyelashes.

"An extra dollop, please?" She asked in a flirty voice, and I giggled at her.

"Get what you're given, princess." I replied and gave her serve of two dollops. She sighed and took her bowl back, mumbling something about me and the wrong edge of the sword.

Drew, who was sitting next to her, laughed and looked at her with an amused expression. She glared at him and huffed. Mum and Dad chuckled at them. I moved around to Drew and gave him his, then Mum hers, then Dad his. Finally, I got to my plate and put the two remaining dollops in my bowl.

I went back to the kitchen and quickly grabbed some bread to go with it. I set it on a small plate and put it in the middle of the table. I quickly sat down and we began eating.

We ate and talked and bickered and laughed like we would any other night, and I was grateful. Even though I knew it wasn't going to be permanent, I was dreading the Meeting and all the changes that were going to happen because of it.


	2. Chapter 2- Palace People

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or Selection

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Chapter 2- Palace People

"Leslie! Hurry your ass up!" I yelled, giggling. Leslie turned to me with an exasperated sigh.

"His house is like 100 metres in front of us. I don't think it's going to matter that much if we stroll." She told me, and I just bounced in front of her like an idiot. She reached out and grabbed my waist, effectively stopping my bounciness.

It has been three days since the Sighted were announced. Nothing much has changed, except that I get a lot of attention from other people when I am in public with Drew or Les, or my parents. I got hugs, congratulations, and even _gifts_ (which I had politely refused to take). It was pretty overwhelming and it made me frustrated. I was still just Cadi Leyonah, not some princess. I couldn't even imagine what it was going to be like when this is all over.

This afternoon, people from the Palace are coming and discussing the Meeting. In the letter that they sent to inform us, it said that I was leaving on Friday, and today was Tuesday. I wanted to chill out some before all this official stuff started. We were going to go somewhere hidden from the eyes of everyone else; our sense of peace before everything flashed past us.

"Drew! Get out here!" I yelled, even though we were still about sixty metres away. To my surprise the front door opened and he ran over to us smirking.

"I thought you'd be screaming from your doorstep, Cades. I gotta say you've been disappointing lately." He told me, then wrapped his arm around Leslie's waist and kissed her forehead. I just shrugged, and I knew I looked like an excited kid. Without a word, we made our way through town and to our clearing, where we went when we wanted to escape. It was perfect, because it had a lake for Leslie and I to waterbend (yeah, she's a waterbender too), lots of earth for Drew (and Drew's an earthbender), and plenty of space for us to bend in without raising suspicion.

"How are you feeling, Cades?" Leslie asked, her concerned eyes looking at me as we laid down in the grass.

"I'm fine, just ready for this to all be over. Everyone's making this out to be such a big deal." I shrugged, then started playing with some water from the lake.

"It's the Meeting." Leslie countered, shooting me a 'what-did-you-expect?' look.

"It's just a competition. What's the big deal about being Sighted?" I shrugged

"Because it means you've been noticed by the King. You know he personally picks the Sighted based on what he thinks his son will want in a girl." I sighed at her words.

"I know, and I'm flattered that His Majesty thinks I made the cut, but I don't see the point in making this a big reality show." I complained, and they just rolled their eyes at me.

"You know that's not true. There's a special on then like once a month and when the Sighted and Honored are announced, and when the Chosen is announced. Other than that, you just make a few appearances and have a few chats." Drew reasoned, and I thought it over.

"I suppose, but the publicity is just over the top. You've seen how everyone's reacting and all that's happened is that I've been Sighted! What's it going to be like when I get home?" I said, and stupidly looked around before adding "What about my bending?"

They both turned to me with wide eyes, knowing what would happen if the Palace discovered my bending abilities. I would be taken from my family and be given some sort of punishment, but I have no idea what kind. I hadn't known of any girl who had mastered their bending, but Mum told me that it wasn't good. I didn't even want to think of what would happen if they discovered I had almost mastered two elements.

"Cadi, don't think about it. If you hide how good you are at your bending, then they won't find out, like no one here has." Drew told me, and I sighed, knowing he was right.

"You guys are right." I mumbled, hating to admit it. They both looked at me in mock-shock, then grinned at each other.

"Did she just say that we're right?" Drew whispered in mock-wonder, and Leslie tapped her chin with her forefinger.

"I don't know, did she?" she asked, and Drew nodded.

"She did, but if you didn't hear it then maybe she should say it again."

"Or, you can just take it and leave it." I suggested, and they looked at me like I was crazy.

"These moments are rare, Miss Leyonah, and you think we'll just let it go?" Drew asked, his eyes wide and amused.

"Fine, but only because you need this memory to keep you going while I'm gone." I teased, wiping away a mock-tear. They just giggled at me.

"You guys were right." I repeated, and Drew let out a whoop. He got up of Leslie and pulled me up, swinging me around.

"Put me down, you big goof!" I yelled playfully, and he obeyed. As soon as I was put down, he lifted his hands and two slabs of earth shot up and carved themselves around my wrists. I glared at him while he laughed evilly.

I looked behind him and saw the lake. An idea popped into my head, and I kept the glare on my face. Then I started making small movements with my wrists. A stream of water sprouted from the lake and made its way towards Drew. Leslie, who was now standing next to Drew with a grin, didn't see it and I was grateful, because she would've just put it back into the lake.

It slowly made its way to Drew. I grinned and let it hover behind him for a few seconds. Then I dropped the water at his feet and froze it. He cursed, then turned to Leslie.

"Babe?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"I'm staying out of this." She said, planting her butt on the ground. Drew and I glared at her for a few seconds (me because I knew if she wasn't going to help Drew then she wasn't going to help me), then looked at each other. We held the glare for a few minutes, then cracked up laughing. I released him legs at the same time he released my arms.

We spent the next few hours like we always did; relaxing and bending where we could show our abilities. Drew was getting better, thanks to the new scroll Dad had given him. Dad had no trouble with giving Drew a few earthbending scrolls, since boys were allowed to master their bending.

I was in the middle of a bending battle with Drew when I stopped short. _The Palace people._ I suddenly remembered. I cursed, then dropped the water around my arms. Drew and Leslie must've remembered as well, because their eyes were wide and they were ready on their feet. We quickly left the clearing and raced back to my house.

We burst through the front door ten minutes later, out of breath and parched. We headed to the kitchen and each grabbed a drink.

"Guys, I don't know if you're allowed to be here," I whispered, and they looked back at me with hurt faces. "I want you too, but please just leave if they ask you too. I'm pretty sure I lost any brownie points with them now that I'm late. I promise I'll tell you everything I can later." I quickly said, and the hurt expression in their eyes turned to one of understanding.

"Okay, Cades. Let's go face them!" Drew said, puffing out his chest putting one hand on his hip and the other hand in a fist and stretched out. Leslie and I laughed and he grinned.

"Drew, we love you from the bottom of our hearts, but you are such an idiot." I told him as we walked into the living room.

"I was born this way." He said in sad tone, and we laughed. Hearing more tones of laughter than ours, I looked around to see Mum, Dad and three unfamiliar people with the Palace emblem on them also in the room with us. I blushed and quickly bowed. Leslie and Drew quickly bowed as well.

"Lady Cadi, you are late." One of them, a girl probably a few years older than me, said sternly, and I rose from my bow and looked at her.

"My apologies, Mistress. We were unaware of the time." I replied politely, and I saw Mum's pleased look behind the woman.

"I am confused as to why you were outside the house to begin with, Lady Cadi." she continued. I shared a look with Mum and Dad, who looked as confused as I felt, and Leslie and Drew, who both looked furious with her (I'm guessing it's because of her manner; we hated people being rude to our family).

"I'm sorry?" I asked, and she gave me a cold look.

"Sighted Ladies are discouraged from leaving their houses while waiting to go to the Palace. It is safer and wiser for them." she explained, and her nuh-duh tone made me feel stupid, but I didn't let it show.

"I was not aware of that. No one has given me grief, and everyone here in Adiwen respects each other enough for privacy and to treat each other as equals. I also believe that I have not broken any rules, because you said it was 'discouraged' and not forbidden." I replied calmly, though I lied a bit about the treating each other as equals part. It was true, except when people from Adiwen were Sighted. Lissa got the same treatment when she was Sighted too.

The woman frowned from being put in her place, while the other two people from the Palace looked pleased at my response.

"There's no harm done, Alice. She didn't know, but she does now." A woman close to Mum's age told her with a stern note in her tone, then she turned to me with a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry for her, but we thought that all Sighted were aware of this rule. I'm Jenny, one of Mistress Helena's assistants. This is Alice, one of Mistress Francine's assistants, and this is Benjamin, one of the Royal Palace Guards."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. This is my mother, Kellie, my father, Jason and my best friends Drew and Leslie." I introduced. Jenny smiled at Les and Drew, then turned to me.

"We need to get a lot of things done today, Lady Cadi. I'm afraid I need to ask your friends to leave." She said in an apologetic tone. I nodded then turned to Leslie and Drew, who were both glaring at Alice.

"C'mon." I said quietly, and they both filed out of the room. I followed them, prepared for what they were going to say about Alice.

"What does she have shoved up her ass?" Leslie asked, and I fought a giggle.

"She's doing her job, Les." I told her instead, and she threw a look at me.

"Doesn't mean she had to be such a snobby little bitch about it." She said, and Drew nodded.

"It wasn't really what she said, it was how she said it. It was like she was superior to you." Drew added, and I frowned.

"She _is _superior to me." I said, and Drew shook his head.

"She would've been a few days ago, but not now. You have the authority to tell her to shut the hell up and to get over herself. She has no right to talk to you that way." he told me, and I sighed.

"And she's only like, two years older than you? I guess it'd make more sense if it was more than that, but she's not, so how is she so damned big-headed?" Les fumed, and I mentally groaned.

"_Leslie!_ You guys should get out of her before you get into more trouble." I ordered, pushing Leslie out the door a bit. She sighed and walked out, dragging Drew behind her. He started walking backwards, still holding Leslie's hand.

"You better tell us everything if you're kicking us out, then." Drew called, and I grinned.

"I promise I will tell you everything I can, if you keep it a secret." I promised. Drew winked, then turned around. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she rested her head against his shoulder as they walked away.

I quickly walked back inside and Jenny noticed me immediately. She rose and addressed me.

"This shouldn't take more than an hour. Shall we go into the dining room?" she asked, and I nodded. I silently asked Mum to some as well, which she did without hesitation. I threw Dad a grin and followed Jenny into the kitchen.

We sat down, Jenny at one side with Mum and me opposite her, and she dropped a stack of paperwork on the table next to her. She looked up at me and smiled. I leaned back into my chair and smiled back.

"Let's get started." Jenny said with a smile, and I nodded.


	3. Chapter 3- Rules

Disclaimer: I do not own Selection or ATLA

Hey anyone who happens to read this, I just wanna say I'm not going to be a pushy author who is all like 'no new chapter until i get more reviews/followers', so new chapters will go up when they are written. You do not have to follow it or write reviews if you don't want to, though it'd be nice to know that someone is reading it (besides the person who already is, but they don't really count, since I know the person. sorry).

With that over, go ahead and scroll XD

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Chapter 3- Rules

Jenny picked up the first document on her pile and put it in front of her. She looked up at me with a serious look on her face.

"Believe it or not, Lady Cadi, but you are now property of New-America. You must take care of your body and watch your attitude, because I am certain that there will be a lot of young girls who look up to you. If you show a negative attitude to anything, they will most like follow your lead. Same goes for your body." She told me, and I gaped at her. People actually look up to_ me?  
_"You look to be in excellent shape and you have good skin. I don't think you need to be given any sort of supplements or scrubs." She continued, looking over me. She quickly scribbled over a piece of paper and put it to the side  
"I have some forms that you are required to sign. If you refuse, then you are immediately disqualified from the Meeting. Is that clear?" she asked not unkindly, looking up at me, and I nodded. When I was first Sighted I honestly couldn't care less about not being in the Meeting, but now I was getting excited. I liked the idea of meeting people from different provinces, just not in this scenario with the whole uncertainty of who to trust and all that crap.

"Is this your application form?" she asked, handing me a sheet of paper, pulling me away from my thoughts. I scanned it, and then nodded my head in confirmation.

"Did you lie about anything on your application form?"

"No, Mistress." I replied, keeping my face emotionless. The only thing I had lied about on the form was my bending, but considering my situation, I would say that's a pretty big damn deal.

"Jenny is just fine, Lady Cadi. Did you lie about your bending status?" she asked, and I hid a frightened look. Did she know? I put waterbender down on my application because it didn't stick out as much as being an airbender did.

"No. I am a waterbender." I reassured her.

"May I please see a small demonstration?" She asked, and I nodded. I looked around for a water source, then found that Mum had put a bunch of flowers in a vase filled with water on the kitchen bench. I pulled the water out and bought it in front of Jenny. I forced a wobble into it, to make it seem like I was out of practice.

"Good, good. If you don't mind, can you please sign this form?" She asked, and I returned the water to the cup. I grabbed the pen off of Jenny and scrawled my signature where she pointed out to.

"Now, I know that you weren't aware of this before, but it is highly discouraged for the Sighted to leave their household when waiting to go to the Palace. It is dangerous because not everyone will be happy with your selection in the Meeting."

"Jenny, Drew and Leslie both live on this street. Would I be able to go to their houses if they accompany me?" I asked, hoping she would agree. She bit her lip, but nodded with a sigh.

"Seeing as it is a short street, I will agree to this. But, you must be accompanied at all times." she said sternly, and I agreed with an eager nod. I wouldn't have minded staying here for the remainder of the waiting period, but I know that Jasmine (Leslie's mum) will want to have a big dinner to send me off. She did the same thing for Leslie's older brother Michael when he left to be a part of the Military five years ago.

"Now for manners at the Palace. You will be given lessons on etiquette daily from my mistress, as she is in charge of your welfare for the duration of your stay at the Palace. You must be well mannered and respectful to everyone in the Palace, especially Their Majesties and your fellow Sighted. Also, there is a curfew. Straight after dinner all Sighted or Honoured Ladies, if you make it that far, must return to their chambers after dinner unless the Prince has requested your company or there is a function.  
"There is to be no fighting with any of the Sighted. Physical or verbal. Any two Sighted who are caught in a squabble of any kind will be punished, and depending on the severity of the incident, disqualified from the Meeting."

"I understand." I replied, knowing that there would still be fights. I mean, how could there not be? They're throwing thirty-six young, hormonal girls to fight over one good-looking guy, and a prince at that. The only difference is that they will be catty fights, like rumours and backstabbing. What fun.

"Good, I'm glad you do. Many other girls were a bit astounded that they weren't allowed to get into verbal fights."

"It makes sense." I shrugged, reaching for the contract she had ready in her hands. I signed it and Jenny moved on to her next topic.

"Now, there is some safety issues that need to be discussed. For one, you are not allowed to leave the Palace walls unless it is a part of the Meeting, you are with Prince Matthew or that you have been given permission from Their Majesties or anyone of equal importance. By outside the Palace walls, that means anything outside the Palace walls themselves, not the boundary around the Palace. This includes everything between the boundary and the walls. You will need permission to venture out into the gardens as a security precaution.  
"Gifts from home are another thing. Any items, except letters, will be examined for any harmful weapons or substances. For the sake of your safety, you are only allowed to wear clothes and eat food that is provided by the Palace, or by Prince Matthew. The only thing that is allowed to be worn from home is jewellery. Things from home _are_ welcome, just are not commonly shown around the Palace. They are to be kept in your room, unless it is jewellery." she explained, then launched into her next point without waiting for me to give a response.

"Then there's the issue with the Prince. There is to be no seeking the Prince. He has other duties to attend to as well as the Meeting. He will decide when you will have dates, or have chats, or anything of the like.  
"When it comes to dates, you must not disturb any dates he may have with any of the other Sighted. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this." she paused, waiting for my nod, then continued as if she didn't stop. "Cameras are to follow you for your date with the Prince. You may request for them to be dismissed, but not for the entire duration of the date. It is required for some footage of the dates to make it to air."

"Although Their Majesties are the King and Queen, Prince Nathan and Princess Cammie, they do not have the power to dismiss you from the Meeting. They may express their dislike of you, if there is any, but they cannot dismiss you from the Meeting."

"Then there is relationships. You are forbidden to have any other romantic relationships with any other man or woman besides the Prince. If you are caught sending letters or gifts to anyone other than your immediate family, it will be considered as treason to the Prince and New-America, and you know what will happen after that." She explained, and at first I was laughing at anyone who would be stupid enough to have a relationship with anyone else when they were in a competition for the Prince's heart, but then I stopped when she got to the letters part.

"Whoa, hold on a second. Are you saying if I send a letter to Drew or Leslie I will be considered a traitor?" I asked, and Jenny bit her lip.

"Normally, yes, but after the last Meeting there had been some lenience with letters to friends. I am sure that I can make an enquiry about your friends. But there is a possibility they won't let you send letters to Drew, I'm afraid." she said, and I took a deep breath to keep the anger off my face. I focused on my breathing, trying to calm down.

"I understand." I said in a slightly-angry tone, and Mum patted my arm. I looked up at her and gave her a thankful look, which she returned with a you're-doing-great smile

"Are you okay, Lady Cadi?" Jenny asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, I am. I'm sorry for that little flip out." I apologized, and to my surprise Jenny just smiled at me.

"It's fine. I know this is a big adjustment for you. But, if it makes you feel better, you are taking this exceptionally well." She told me, and I smiled at her in thanks. Without us saying anything, she handed me two contracts and I signed them.

"For each fortnight of you stay, your family will be compensated…" she said, and I sat up straight.

"_What?" _I asked, gaping, and she smiled patiently.

"You will be receiving money from Their Majesties for your service to New-America. Every Sighted or Honoured does."

"Why?" I asked, still unable to comprehend why they would spend so much money on the Meeting. It may not be much for one of the Sighted, but for thirty-six of them every fortnight… I cannot even begin to imagine how much money they would be forking out.

"It's your payment for your service to New-America. Also, when the Sighted leave the Palace, they often find it difficult to go back to their normal lives. This money helps them improve their lifestyles when they return. It also provides income for the family, which is a great thing if they have lost some when their daughter got Sighted." I nodded at the explanation and shared a look with Mum. We were not poor, but we did sometimes struggle. Mum was beaming at Jenny, and I let out a small sigh of relief.  
"Despite this compensation, you can request aid from the Palace to adjust to the difference in life at the Palace and life at home." She quickly added, and I frowned.

"People actually do that?" I asked, disapproval leaking into my voice. Mum put her hand on my arm to caution me, and I swear Jenny hid a smile.

"Yes, they have." She answered simply. I nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"Now, if you make it to the last three of the Honoured, you will be trained to be a princess or a queen. You will be working closely with Princess Cammie and Queen Ashlynn in this period of time. The bare minimum time that these lessons will go on for is three weeks, so that the prince can finalise his choice. At this stage, those three girls and their family are considered nobility. The winner of the Meeting and her family, however, are upgraded to royalty." She paused, flicking through the contracts. She pulled out one and put in on top, then kept flicking though. She quickly flicked through them again, then nodded before turning back to me.

"Oh, I forgot to cover that even though your status has been upgraded, you are not above the law. If you are found breaking any laws you will be eliminated from the Meeting and be prosecuted accordingly. We have had cases like that in the past, and we hope not to have any like that this Meeting." She added, then slid a pile of contracts towards me. I quickly went through them and scribbled my signature over the parts required.

"That's it?" I asked, sliding the contracts back to her and watching her relax a tiny bit.

"My part, anyway. Alice and Benjamin still have things to go over with you." she told me, and I hid a scowl at the thought of Alice going over anything with me. Mum chuckled at my reaction and I rolled my eyes at her.

"Thank you, Jenny." I told her, standing up, and she smiled at me while gathering up her papers.

"No worries, Lady Cadi. I was wondering if I could have a quick word with you in private before we go back in?" she asked, and I nodded. I gave Mum a reassuring smile and she went back into the living room.

"Now, we just need to cover one more thing. Lady Cadi, are you a virgin?" she asked bluntly, and I gaped. She smiled apologetically and pulled a form out of her briefcase

"I'm sorry to ask this question, but it is required. We need to ask for the sake of the Prince's safety. If you have lost your virginity and have had unprotected sex, we need to know immediately." she elaborated, and it clicked why this question was so important.

"I am still a virgin, Jenny. You do not need to worry about any diseases of that cause to ruin the King's bloodline from my part." I told her, and she sighed a quick sigh of relief.

"Thanks." She said quietly and quickly scribbled on the contract before handing it to me I signed it and handed it back. With a nod, I walked back into the living room and smiled at my parents. Mum had a questioning look in her eyes, and I mouthed "later" to her, and she nodded.

"Alright, I think Alice should go next. Maybe in Cadi's or my bedroom." Mum said, and Alice just grabbed her stuff and walked out of the living room, Mum following her. I shared look with Dad and raced after them.

"I need your measurements. I need you to take off your clothes and stand in the middle of the room." She ordered, and I looked down. I had a crop top that revealed half my stomach and loose pants that fell to my ankles with a tight band around my ankles. This may seem really revealing, but it was the typical fashion of Adiwen.

"Is that necessary?" Mum asked, and I nodded in agreement.

"My clothes will not alter my measurements." I added, and Alice gave me a look.

"It is." she said coldly, and I obeyed. She quickly measured me, and I mean everything. She measured my height, my bust, my legs (as in width and length), my arms, my wrists, my waist, my stomach, my neck… you name it; she measured it. And she wasn't exactly gentle about it. She tugged me this way and that way, put me in awkward positions and made little comments that I'm sure were backhand insults. Like "you've got beautiful skin for someone like you". What the hell was that supposed to mean? Every time she spoke I think she expected me to lash out back, but I held my tongue. Mum eventually asked her to stop, and she did with an annoying pout.

I honestly had no idea what I had done to make her act this way, but she was pissing me off.

"That will be all." Alice said cruelly and left the room. I scowled after her and quickly got dressed. Mum looked at me and grinned.

"Let me guess, you said something snarky to her?" Mum asked, and I gave her an exasperated look.

"You have been with me every time I am in the same room as her! I haven't said anything bad enough for her to act like this. It's uncalled for." I ranted, and Mum nodded.

"I know, and I'm proud of you for taking it in stride, sweetie. I don't think lashing out would've been a good thing to do." Mum said, and I nodded in agreement. We went to walk into the living room, but Dad and Benjamin were sitting in the kitchen already. Mum and Dad shared a look, then Mum walked into the living room after giving Dad a kiss on the cheek.

"Your turn?" I teased Dad with a grin, and he returned it.

"You know it." He agreed, and I took a seat next to him. I turned to face Benjamin, who was looking at me and Dad with an amused smile. I cleared my throat, and Benjamin looked at me. I raised my eyebrow expectantly, and he nodded his head once. He looked down at his paper in front of him, and when he did, Dad looked over at me with a wink. I flashed a grin back before focusing on Benjamin.

"Right, well we need to go over security measures. We're going to set up a..."

"Four-hour guard rotation until sunrise, then have a personal bodyguard to be with me throughout the day?" I asked, and Benjamin gaped.

"H-how'd you know?" he asked, and I smiled.

"Before Leslie's older brother Michael left to be a part of the Military when we were eleven or twelve we begged to know one of the guard routines. He wanted to know what for, and we told him of the game we had just made up. In case you were wondering, we were practising how to rescue captives and we wanted it to be authentic. He told us the most common routine for guarding people was to have a four-hour rotation schedule. I just threw in the bodyguard thing for fun." I explained, and he laughed.

"That sounds like what my brother used to do when he was little. Anyway, that's the system we are going to use. We have had volunteers from Adiwen's Guard to take the rotations. They have had background checks and have agreed not to bother you unless it is an emergency."

"I'm okay with that. May I ask a question?"

"Of course, Lady Cadi."

"Why is there a guard being set up? I understand that I am Sighted, but why does that require a twenty-four hour guard system?" I asked, and he sighed.

"I do not want to alarm you." he said hesitantly.

"She will be fine. She's not the only one who wants to know. Kerrie won't be very happy to have people guarding the house if she does not know what they are guarding. She understands that Cadi is Sighted, but she will want a specific reason." Dad reasoned, and I let out a silent sigh in relief.

"Okay. Well, in the first Meeting, one of the Sighted was murdered in her home by another girl who wanted to be in the Selection. We have had guards around the Sighted ever since." he explained, and I frowned. If that were the situation, then why were they only setting up the guards now? I voiced my thought, and Benjamin quickly reassured me.

"There has been a watch around your house at night, and you were with your friends for the majority of the time during the day. Drew was asked by the guard to keep an eye out for any people following you by the Adiwen Guard. They trusted him to take care of anyone who might wish to harm you, as he is known for being one of the best earthbenders in this province.  
"I have been appointed your personal bodyguard until you reach the Palace, so I will be with you during the day. At night, I will be in a hotel room a couple of streets away…"

"No, I think it would be better if you stayed here." Dad interrupted, looking down at me with worried eyes. "I would feel better if there were more people at hand to help if there was an attack." he continued, and I leaned over and grabbed his hand. I gave it a squeeze, and he squeezed it back with a smile on his face.

"If you are certain, sir." Benjamin replied, and Dad nodded.

"Of course." he replied, and then Benjamin turned to me.

"Now we need to go over what to do in the case of an emergency. Your friend's brother may have been through this with you, but I need to go through it again." He told me, and I nodded. He then went on to tell me what Michael told us. Keep calm, don't panic and then get to a safe place. The only difference is that Benjamin explained where I would go in the Palace in the case of emergencies and he went into more detail about safety.

"Thank you, Benjamin." I thanked, grateful to at least have an idea of what to do if there was an emergency. I think Dad was glad to know how seriously they took our safety as well.

"There's no need to thank me, Lady Cadi. This is something you must know before you enter the Palace as Sighted." he shrugged, and I nodded.

"Well, shall we go into the living room?" I asked, and the two boys nodded. We got up and walked back into the living room.

Fortunately, Alice and Jenny had to leave as soon as we appeared. I was honestly glad to see the back of their heads, but I was a little sad to see Jenny go because I liked her. I just didn't want to go through anything to do the Meeting anymore. I think all this stuff to do with it exhausted me.

"Kerrie, Benjamin will be staying here for extra security." Dad told Mum. She looked up at him with a questioning look in her eyes. Dad gave her an 'I'll-tell-you-later' look, and she nodded.

"Of course. Cadi will…?"

"On it." I answered, kissing her cheek as I left to go get the stuff to set up the sofa bed. She smiled at me in gratitude before turning her attention to Benjamin and Dad.

As I grabbed the sheets and blanket from the cupboard, I realised this really was happening. In a few days, I would be leaving for the Palace. It was kind of like the feeling people got before they get a new pet, or their parents say that they're having a baby. It doesn't really sink in until they're buying all the new stuff for the pet/baby, or when the baby bump starts to show. It kind of threw you off.

Suddenly I was really nervous about leaving everything behind. What happens if something happens at the Palace? What happens if I change and Leslie or Drew can't handle the new me? What if I get caught by the Guard about my bending? What happens if they punish Mum or Dad for it?

I let out a small groan and pushed those thoughts away. They weren't going to do anything but stress me out.

I went back downstairs and went to set up the sofa bed for Benjamin, but was stopped short at the sight of Leslie and Drew sitting on it with smirks on their faces.

"Your Mum called." Drew offered as an explanation, and I nodded. Sounds like Mum.

"And you have a lot of explaining to do." Leslie grinned, and I smiled. I put the stuff down on the armchair and smiled at my two best friends.

"I gotta set up the sofa bed for Benjamin." I told them, and Leslie wiggled her eyebrows.

"The hot one with your parents?" she asked, and Drew and I gasped at her in mock shock.

"Leslie Angelica Conalt! Your boyfriend is sitting right there!" I exclaimed in a semi-yell, at the same time Drew asked "Am I not hot enough for you?"

Leslie just rolled her eyes and kissed Drew on the cheek and blew me one. "You're hotter than the guy, babe." she told him, and I made a gag face. She then turned to me with a smile. "I was just stating a fact." she said in an innocent tone with a wink my way. I groaned and shook my head at her antics.

I dragged Leslie and Drew off the couch and they started helping me without me saying anything. The pair of them took the cushions off and Drew dragged the bed out. Leslie then shoved the cushions that you it on down the gap between the 'headboard' and the bed. She then shoved the cushions that you lean on behind them.

"Thanks guys, now sit over there and behave." I ordered, and they rolled their eyes at me. I watched them move out the way and smiled to myself.

I realised then that no matter what happened at the Palace, my family, my two best friends and their family would be with me all the way.


End file.
